Al Franken Likely To Resign On Thursday As 18 Senators Call On Him To Step Down

Sen. Al Franken’s office has scheduled an announcement for Thursday with all signs pointing toward the Minnesota Senator announcing his resignation.

After a seventh accuser came forward, support for Franken among his Democratic colleagues collapsed. The current number of Senators who have called on him to resign is 18 and growing.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) said, “I just learned of the latest, disturbing allegation against Senator Franken. While the facts from case to case can differ, and while there are sound reasons for weighing evidence in such cases in a deliberate and carefully considered process, Senator Franken’s situation has become untenable. I am concerned that even a prompt Ethics Committee investigation and recommendations will not come soon enough. He has to step aside. I hope as a nation that we are beginning to come to terms with the systemic problem of sexual harassment and assault, but we still have a long way to go.”

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) said, “Today, I am calling on my colleague Al Franken to step aside. I’ve struggled with this decision because he’s been a good Senator and I consider him a friend. But that cannot excuse his behavior and his mistreatment of women. TIME Magazine, by naming ‘The Silence Breakers’ as their ‘Person of the Year,’ is recognizing what women have always known: there are men among us who use their positions of power and influence to manipulate, harass, and assault women. What is new here is the women. We are, all of us, speaking out, naming names and demanding that the harassers take responsibility for their behavior. I am proud of each of the women who has come forward, and heartened by the changing climate that has received their stories with acceptance and compassion. My hope is that this moment for a cultural change will result in women no longer being viewed as objects or toys, but recognized for their abilities and achievements. As regular human beings. Women have endured this behavior, which for too long has been ignored and tolerated. But no longer. We can only create a culture where women are respected as equals if we all step forward and be part of the change by holding everyone, especially our leaders, accountable.”

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) said it best, “I am deeply disappointed by Senator Franken’s behavior. He must step aside. To all those across America who have come forward to share their stories over the past few months: thank you. Your courage and strength in driving this long-overdue national conversation is awe-inspiring. As national leaders, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard—and we must lead by example to ensure every person is treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. This isn’t about Democrats or Republicans, it’s about our society. It’s about who we are as a people and the kind of country we want our daughters—and our sons—to grow up in.”

Just because you may politically agree with someone, does not mean that you really know them. Politicians all cultivate false faces and images. Sen. Franken has apologized, taken responsibility, but never really denied the allegations. Democrats need to look no further than the Republican Party to see what happens when a party turns a blind eye to morals and principles.

Republicans are destroying their party by keeping Trump and Roy Moore. Whether you believe that Franken should resign or not, Democrats aren’t sacrificing their principles for partisanship.

William Patterson spent a lifetime steeped in liberal ideology and policy, only to watch his beliefs fail in eight awful years of Obama. He's now working hard to help Trump right the ship, and destroy the idiocies that destroy America.